Essence Devouring Art

Chapter 26: Chapter 25: Unexpected Complications

”I found it!”

Mao Ba opened his eyes. He looked a bit tired and his face was somewhat listless. It seemed that controlling the Cyan Crane took a heavy toll on his spirit.

Wu Dao had watched the entire process, and his understanding of Immortal Dao Cultivators deepened.

It seemed the Spiritual Cultivation of the Extraordinaries on this path was far stronger than that of the Martial Dao.

Because...

...even though Mao Ba, who was only at Foundation Establishment, had gone through a series of exertions, his current Essence, Qi, and Spirit was still no less than someone in the Divine Power Realm.

One could only imagine...

...how formidable his Spiritual Will must be when he was at his peak.

Hm!?

Just as Wu Dao’s thoughts were fluctuating, his brow suddenly furrowed. He whipped his head around to stare into the darkness at the end of the long street behind them, his eyes narrowing instinctively.

His keen senses told him.

A very powerful ”Hunter” was approaching!

”More masters?”

It wasn’t just Wu Dao.

Zhao Wei, Cloud Heaven Flow, Mao Ba, and even the seven at the Peak of Internal Strength who reacted a bit slower, all quickly sensed the dangerous aura and frowned as they looked over.

”Haha, everyone, how about you count us in?”

A rumbling, thunderous laugh traveled from the distance, growing closer.

Like a great bell, it vibrated through the Inner Strength Cultivators present, making their faces flush and causing them discomfort.

In the blink of an eye.

Two figures, one burly and one gaunt, flickered out from the end of the darkness and appeared on the desolate ground before Chunxiang Garden.

A thick, oppressive feeling.

It made everyone present narrow their eyes.

This was especially true for Wu Dao. The moment he saw the two black Tokens hanging from the men’s waists, engraved with ”Four Seas” and a sea wave pattern...

...he couldn’t help but grind his teeth.

’Revenge?’

’Or treasure hunting?’

The moment Wu Dao saw the Tokens on their waists, his mind raced. He suppressed the urge to lash out, remaining on high alert.

These two.

They were incredibly strong. Their Essence, Qi, and Spirit were on a completely different level from the likes of Meng Qingshuang.

The skeletal, middle-aged man with palms like eagle talons and a deathly aura, in particular, put immense pressure on Wu Dao!

’He might be...’

’No, he’s definitely a master of the Cocoon-Breaking Realm!’

Wu Dao’s current strength was bolstered by fifty years’ worth of Overlord Whale Fist, and his body’s potential was approaching the Heroic Domain.

To put it arrogantly,

within the Divine Power Realm, apart from those freaks who had reached the Meticulous level,

he didn’t give a damn about anyone else. The only ones who could pressure him were cultivators above the Divine Power Realm—those who had achieved Breaking the Cocoon!

Fortunately,

having lived two lives, his heart had been tempered by the mortal world.

After countless life-and-death struggles, Wu Dao’s mind had been forged to be tougher than steel.

After a fleeting moment of surprise,

his expression returned to normal. He looked no different from the others, his curiosity tinged with wariness, showing no trace of guilt or panic.

Back in the desert,

he had already dispelled the mark Meng Qingshuang left on him.

The fact that these two hadn’t attacked him immediately meant they didn’t possess a more advanced tracking Technique and didn’t know he was the one who had slaughtered everyone at the Red Fire Ore mine.

Under these circumstances,

if he panicked and attacked, it would be a dead giveaway.

If it were just the bald, burly man,

Wu Dao wouldn’t be afraid at all. He could flip the table and reveal everything without a second thought. The difficult part was the gloomy, gaunt middle-aged man in the Cocoon-Breaking Realm.

’Breaking the Cocoon, Breaking the Cocoon!’

’Break the cocoon to become a butterfly.’

A Martial Artist at this level has already undergone a Rebirth, Breaking the Cocoon, exchanging their bones and blood, and shedding their mortal shell!

They have opened their Qi Sea Dantian, refined their blood essence, and their physique can now bear qi, blood, and power far beyond mortal limits. They have already mastered Power!

Harmonizing Force, Inner Strength, and Transforming Force.

The Third Rebirth, the Third Heaven.

Just at the first stage, the First Heaven of Harmonizing Force, one can integrate the power of their entire body’s muscles and bones, condensing it into a single point at will. A flick of a finger can unleash the strength of the entire body!

In battle,

their Power strikes like a cannon blast, and their stamina is like a surging river, flowing endlessly.

Not to mention, cultivators at this stage already possess ”Copper Skin and Iron Bones.” A mere mortal body stands no chance against them!

And besides the gloomy middle-aged man,

the remaining bald young man had a frighteningly violent appearance and was no pushover either. His limbs were like iron pillars and towering mountains, his muscles like coiled dragons, and his temples bulged high.

He clearly practiced a powerful Horizontal Training Skill.

His scorching, majestic aura was like a suppressed volcano. Once it erupted, he would undoubtedly transform into a steel war machine!

However,

Wu Dao wasn’t particularly afraid.

The Essence Devouring Art was his greatest trump card.

His strength had doubled since the Red Fire Ore incident. If he wanted to leave, the two of them might not be able to stop him!

’Since I haven’t been discovered,’

’there’s no reason to flee. The enemy is in the open while I am in the shadows. I’ll just wait and see what happens.’

As for giving up on the Exotic Treasure within Canyun Mountain...

...that was absolutely impossible!

’These two may be strong, and one is even in the Cocoon-Breaking Realm,’

’but the people here are no pushovers either.’

’One Sword Dao Grandmaster!’

’Two Fist Dao Grandmasters!’

’Plus the enigmatic Mao Ba!’

’None of them are simple Divine Power Realm cultivators. It’s a gathering of elites; I’d guess every one of them has an ace or two up their sleeve.’

’If these two try to take it all for themselves,’

’and a real fight breaks out,’

’the outcome is still uncertain.’

As for why Wu Dao believed that if a conflict arose, Mao Ba and Cloud Heaven Flow would stand with them against a common enemy...

...it was a matter of principle.

The Four Seas Gang had a stinking reputation in the Jianghu of Guangqing Prefecture—so foul it was unbearable. They were practically synonymous with sinister, evil, and criminal deeds.

Any cultivator with a shred of righteousness in their heart...

...couldn’t stand the sight of them and wished for nothing more than their swift elimination.

A clear example was that...

...the moment Cloud Heaven Flow recognized the two were from the Four Seas Gang, his sword was already an inch out of its sheath. Its sharp edge was exposed, and his aura was aimed at them without any attempt at concealment.

Even Mao Ba from ”On the Mountain.”

...seemed to dislike the Four Seas Gang intensely. His face, which had been amiable and kind, instantly turned ice-cold.

As for the other four Loose Cultivators,

they were the type to live on the edge, occasionally engaging in murder and pillage themselves. They showed little aversion; in fact, they looked almost as if they’d found their own kind, showing a hint of affinity.

But no matter who it was,

no one responded to the burly, bald young man’s overly familiar tone. For a moment, the atmosphere grew stagnant.

Until...

”Heh, and who might this be? If it isn’t Mengqingshan, Meng the Third. What a grand entrance.”

Zhao Wei took one step forward, his voice dripping with sarcasm. His footfall was heavy, shattering the oppressive, stagnant atmosphere of the deserted field.

’Meng the Third?’

Hearing this, Wu Dao’s mind stirred.

Back at the Red Fire Ore mine, he had already gained a general understanding of the Four Seas Gang’s structure.

The leader, Menghuai Mountain.

The current Gang Leader of the Four Seas Gang, nearly eighty years old, was an Innate Grandmaster who had undergone the Third Rebirth. But his exact realm was unknown.

The Hall Masters of the various territories under him, as well as his trusted minions, the five members of the Black Shark Hall, were all masters of the Cocoon-Breaking Realm.

However, it was said that the five from the Black Shark Hall were not exactly normal people.

They were ”half-finished products,” living dead, ”cultivated” by Menghuai Mountain through special means. The specific methods involved were known to very few.

The gloomy, deathly, and unnatural middle-aged man with Mengqingshan must be one of the five from Black Shark Hall—Eagle Shark. After all, his features were quite distinct.

Wu Dao discreetly glanced at the deathly middle-aged man’s pair of sharp, eagle-talon-like hands, which held a restrained metallic glint.

He had no doubt.

That even an iron golem would be torn to shreds by those talons!

Aside from Menghuai Mountain, the various Hall Masters, and the five from Black Shark Hall, the strongest members of the Four Seas Gang were Menghuai Mountain’s four adopted children.

The unlucky Meng Qingshuang from the Red Fire Ore mine was ranked fourth, had the weakest cultivation, and had already been sent by Wu Dao to meet her ancestors.

The remaining ones were the third son, Mengqingshan; the second son, Meng Qingyun; and the eldest daughter, Meng Qingyan.

Their cultivation levels were progressively stronger.

It was said that the second son and eldest daughter, Meng Qingyan, had already surpassed Foundation Establishment several years ago and entered the Cocoon-Breaking Realm, making a name for themselves in Guangqing Prefecture.

But given the Four Seas Gang’s sinister practice of coexisting with demons, a question mark had to be placed on the Cocoon-Breaking Realm members in their gang—it was uncertain if they were still human.

The information above...

...was the Four Seas Gang’s public-facing strength.

As for what they had hidden, Wu Dao didn’t know. Since they schemed with demons, they surely had many unknown trump cards and hidden reserves.

However, Wu Dao was somewhat surprised that...

...this Meng the Third, Mengqingshan, and Eagle Shark, who stood before him, actually had no ”Demon Qi” about them.

Instead, one had a body full of magnificent, scorching qi and blood, while the other had a restrained, cold, and sharp aura. The two of them were clearly following the Human Dao.

The so-called Demon Qi...

...was something Wu Dao discovered when dealing with those inhuman things at the Red Fire Ore mine.

He didn’t know if it was because of his attribute panel, but he could ”smell” a unique scent carried by inhuman Alien Species.

This scent was indescribable.

But it held an immense attraction for him, no less than Dragon Liver and Phoenix Marrow. Just smelling it made his muscle cells feel an abnormal hunger, making him want to feast.

”Hehe, Zhao, I trust you’ve been well.”

Mengqingshan didn’t get angry at Zhao Wei’s barbed, sarcastic words. Instead, he chuckled and returned the greeting.

But his gaze kept wandering over to the unfamiliar Wu Dao. He squinted his eyes, nodded, and said in a resonant voice:

”Not bad, not bad at all. Zhao, aren’t you going to make an introduction?”